Lovely Obsession

Weakening

Blake

They did find a lead in the car. Strands of Sophie's hair was found in the backseat.

Joseph was missing from school, so everyone assumed he was taken into questioning. Strange. I thought they wouldn't suspect him, considering he was in the bleachers the entire time. But, I'm not complaining. Not at all.

Everyone was still in panic and paranoia. Staff told everyone to be careful, and to make sure to tell the police if they find anything new involving Sophie and Tristan.

All throughout school, everyone was making theories. 

"I think," A girl said during Snack, "Sophie killed him. I mean, officials did say that Tristan went to go find her. And it was only his blood they found."

Only because, of course, I didn't want to hurt Sophie. Chloroform was enough to hurt her and send my heart wrenching, I didn't want to cut her skin open. And what good would that do?

"But," Another argued, "It was just released that Sophie's DNA was found in that abandoned car! In the back seat, as if she was lying down. So she couldn't have been driving the car, she had to have been kidnapped!"

"Wait!" A boy jumped in as well, "It was Joseph's car. He had to have been involved! What if it was all him?"

"I was sitting near them during the game! Joseph stayed in the bleachers! Yes, he left at one point, but only for a moment."

I wanted to smile, to giggle, to laugh. I had to bite my cheeks in order to refrain a smile. It was when the girl spoke that my face fell.

"I heard Blake had something to do with it."

I could feel the eyes aiming at me.

"Yeah. Didn't he leave after Sophie? Tristan even left because he thought the two were, you know..."

"But didn't Blake come back later? He had a bag of chips, he just went to the snack bar."

"Yeah, but it took way too long! About everyone was in the bleachers, the line was hardly a line! There was no one. He took over twenty minutes."

The bell rung, and immediately, I stood from the bench and briskly walked away. I still felt their eyes, causing me to stiffen and walk faster.

No. They can't know. They can't know anything. But what if they do? Oh God, what if everyone found out? They'd question me, but oh, I won't say anything. Still, what if they find Sophie? They'll take her away from me, and hurt her all over again.

In sixth period, I heard those two girls talking again.

"Would Blake be that type to kill and kidnap people?" She whispered. 

Her friend whispered back, "Of course. He's always been freaky, that guy."

I'll kill you.

"It seems to really match, that story..."

You're gonna take my Sophie away...

"Yeah."

You're crazy if you think I'll allow that.

Sophie

I felt like shit. My head was heavy, my vision one spinning haze. I couldn't move, one small movement felt like hell. I reached behind me to the drawer and grabbed the cup of water. I drank it all in a second, spilling most of it. Just that small movement hurt me in so many ways.

It was cold. So cold. That's when I tried to move more. I pulled the blankets off of me. My arms felt like they would fall off. I sat up on the bed. I was gonna pass out. I stood up. My head was so heavy, I was gonna fall. When I turned the notch to put on the heat, I did fall. I stayed there for a moment, panting.

When I finally got back to the bed, I turned to the drawer and took the two sleeping pills. Since I drank all the water, I dry swallowed them. My throat was so dry.

I waited for them to take their effect. Finally, I went to sleep, to forget about the pain.


"Sophie!" Blake's voice was chipper as he entered the room. He dropped his backpack on the floor, and I could feel his grin, "I'm back! And since I know you get bored easily and won't want to read and draw every moment, I brought-!" His voice, his chirpy happiness steered to a halt, "Sophie, you look a little..."

Usually I'd remain silent in anger. But now, I completely agreed, everything was a haze, "I- I feel..." I just barely managed to choke out. I took shaky breaths.

"... Oh God," Blake's pace was rushed as he walked over. I felt his cold hand clasp on my forehead, "You're - oh no-" He jumped back in an instant, "Sophie, just - wait, I'll be right back!" 

I heard the his rapid movements, and what I guessed was a cabinet slamming open, "What happened?" He asked, rushed as he went through the cabinet's contents, "Is it because you were in the cold for so long? Fu-...! Ah," There was a quick rummaging noise, and then he turned to me, "Sophie, here, to take your temperature. Place it under your tongue and wait 'till it beeps!"

I did what I was told, and Blake suddenly left the room. When the thermometer beeped, I pulled it away to read it. But it was a blur.

When Blake returned, he placed a damp cloth on my forehead, "It's done?" He quickly took the thermometer from my hands, "Shit," The rummaging again, "Where'd I put the medicine? I know I stored some!" His voice was starting to edge of irritation and anger.

Blake

Sophie was sick - she was really sick. And not the average stuffy nose, or sore throat she usually got. She had a fever. Sophie hardly ever gets fevers. The last time she got one was in the sixth grade! She described it as utter hell. She's not used to being sick, and when she is sick, she is very, very sick. 

She doesn't like it. Poor girl looked horrified. So, I was horrified. My heart was gonna explode out of my chest, I was in panic.


Right now Sophie was sleeping, her breaths heavy and uneven. I had pulled my chair closer to her to watch her, occasionally placing the back of my hand on her cheek and pressing the damp cloth on her forehead.

On the drawer behind her head, against the steel bed, held the two bottles of medicine, and a glass of water. 

I frowned and tilted to the side. The water was a bit useless, wasn't it? I know, she'll want something to drink, but water? Pretty stale. My eyes skimmed towards the door. I suppose I'll have to make some hot chocolate, or hot tea, maybe. And hot chicken soup. That's what she had the last time she was sick, right? I don't know. That was two years before I started watching her more, back then I only had her words, the words she aimed at her fake friends.

After staring at Sophie for more than awhile, I scooted my seat back and stood up. 


"C'mon, Sophie, sit up."

Sophie winced and slid up in her place, so that she wasn't fully lying down. Carefully, I set the breakfast tray over her. It held the bowl of hot chicken soup, a cup of Rosehips tea, and with the utensils wrapped in a napkin. 

Before she started eating, I wiped the damp cloth on her cheeks and forehead.

"Sophie," I soon said, "How're you feeling? I mean, what hurts the most?"

I waited a long while for her answer. But when she finally finished most of her soup, she choked out, "M-My head is heav-vy."

I softened and shut my eyes momentarily, "... It's alright," I finally said, "It'll be alright, you'll feel better."

The cold, I was still thinking about it. It was so cold yesterday, and for who knows how long? Sophie never turned the heat on, she just let it stay that way. I wasn't gonna blame her, but... I was getting there.

When she started to drink the tea, I went still.

Probably I should make Sophie drink tea regularly. Not it being the only thing she drank, but still, one of the things she drinks constantly. I didn't really store tea, only a bit, and the Rosehips was the best choice for her cold.

Herbal tea that could calm her stress. Ease the stress, tension, and depression. There was lots of that. Although, I don't think it could fully act up to it's part, but at least, and if Sophie had enough of it, it might help.

My mind drifted back to those people.

In all honesty, I can't see why I'd be listed as a suspect. To everyone else, I had no connection to Sophie, none of them knew. Okay, most knew I had school with her since Elementary. Okay. I was pretty sure Tristan was the only one who knew we played tag as children. It was only one time, I doubt the kids around us had noticed and made sure to keep it planted to their memory. And then there was the incident a month ago. I hadn't heard Sophie talking to anyone about that. Shit, probably she did, I was just absent most days so I could set all this up.

I bet she did. She didn't go on talking about it, but she still said what happened. Probably a simple, "He wasn't taken to the hospital. Leon came to pick me up, and we gave Blake a ride home."

So, to everyone else, me and Sophie were in two completely different worlds.

My eyes skimmed to Sophie as she sneezed into her arm.

No. I'll let nothing get in the way. I had finally got Sophie, I'm finally protecting her. I can't let anyone find her and take her away.

I'd kill them.


"You're finished?" I asked as Sophie set the cup back on the tray, quivering. She nodded, her nose wrinkled. "Okay." I picked up the tray and before turning to take it back to the kitchen, turned to look at Sophie, "Is there anything you'd like?"

She never answered.